The present invention pertains to timing mechanisms and more particularly to timing mechanisms having improved electrical contact blades and electrical contacts.
Timing mechanisms have been used for years to control the functions of appliances such as washers, dryers, and dishwashers. Such timing mechanisms, in general, use power driven rotating cams to open and close electrical switches in accordance with a programmed sequence. Historically, the electrical switches are composed of blades having rivet or welded style contacts carried on the blades. That is, the contacts are formed on the blades from separate materials which are either welded or riveted on the blades. This arrangement is costly and requires high speed forming equipment.
The use of this arrangement is unavoidable whenever the electrical load being handled requires precious metal materials that are different from the blade itself which is typically made of copper. However on low current circuits (2 amperes of less 120 VAC nominal) the same material as the blade may be used as the electrical contact. Therefore, it is a feature of the present invention to provide a timing mechanism useful for making and breaking low current electrical circuits wherein electrical contacts are formed from the same material as an electrical switch blade.